USA urges Iraqi Kurdish region to call off independence referendum

Sandy Schultz

"To date, we have not received an alternative that can replace the referendum, the alternative that we wanted was not offered", he said.

In a phone conversation on Thursday, Chairman of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and his Turkish counterpart, General Hulusi Akar, said the referendum would have adverse impacts on the interests of the region's people, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The Parliament of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region approved a plan to hold a referendum on independence on September 25, ignoring Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish opposition as well as U.S and Western concern that the vote could cause new conflicts in the region.

McGurk said he was optimistic Kurdish leaders would accept an alternative plan that would focus on dialogue between the region and Baghdad and postpone the referendum.

The referendum is planned to be held in Kurdistan and disputed areas including the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

The results will be binding on President Masoud Barzani and the Kurdish government, which agreed to hold the referendum after a June 7 meeting.

Washington opposes the referendum on the grounds that it would weaken Arab-Kurdish joint military operations, which have helped send the IS group into retreat in both Iraq and war-torn Syria.

In recent years, there have been tensions between Baghdad and Kurdistan over power-sharing, oil revenues and territorial disputes.

There are also questions over the leadership of Barzani, who was supposed to step down three years ago at the end of his two terms as president before receiving a controversial extension. Gorran wants elections, restoration of the constitution and for Barzani to step down.

Opposition parties Goran and Jamaa Islamiya earlier said they would boycott the session. While Baghdad recognizes Kurdistan's autonomy, the precise boundary between the region and the rest of Iraq is unclear.

Share this:

Hot News

What Time Does the Canelo-Golovkin Fight Start?Sep 17, 2017 - 00:42
While tenaciously walking down opponents, Golovkin also demonstrates great technical skills and punching accuracy. Alvarez's only defeat came in 2013 against Floyd Mayweather , who was too fast and smart for him.

Who's better: Kohli or Smith? Michael Clarke has his saySep 15, 2017 - 00:39
After making the final of the Champions Trophy, they recorded series wins in the West Indies and Sri Lanka . The journalist may have been referring to the match being played between Pakistan and the World XI team.

ESPN calls Jemele Hill's Trump comments 'inappropriate'Sep 14, 2017 - 01:12
Some say ESPN's recent staff cuts and drop in subscribers have to do with the network overloading on political issues . It appears that no major disciplinary action was taken as she anchored her scheduled SportsCenter broadcast.

Trump's Voter Fraud Panel Unlikely to Recommend ReformsSep 14, 2017 - 01:08
The specter of " voter fraud " has served as the Republican boogeyman for any election result that the party simply doesn't like. To be clear, there is no proof of widespread illegal voting or voter fraud in the 2016 election - or in any American election.

Weakening Irma pounds central FloridaSep 13, 2017 - 00:33
Irma is now a tropical storm rather than a category 1 hurricane , but still has near-hurricane-force gusts. Relief operations are under way in Florida, as the extent of the damage from Hurricane Irma becomes clear.

Mercedes-AMG Bring Formula One Technology to..Sep 12, 2017 - 00:38
Not based on, but THE actual Mercedes-AMG F1 M08 EQ Power+ unit that is used by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in Formula 1. Inside the two-place cabins, the seats themselves are integrated into the monocoque and yet have adjustable backrests.

Supreme Court issues temporary refugee ban orderSep 12, 2017 - 00:38
Under the terms of Trump's order, the 90-day travel ban would end before the arguments even happen - on September 27. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments October 10 on the legality of Trump's travel ban.

Saakashvili may eat another tie, this time for UkraineSep 12, 2017 - 00:37
Saakashvili , also an ex-governor of Odessa, was banned from entering Ukraine after falling out with the country's president . The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said 17 police and border guards were injured in the confrontation.